


Happier

by LaLaLumina



Series: Hotel for the Broken : Deleted Scenes [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha Goshiki Tsutomu, Alpha Kawanishi Taichi, Alpha Oohira Reon, Alpha Tendou Satori, Alpha Ushijima Wakatoshi, Alpha Yamagata Hayato, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Soekawa Jin, Beta Washijo Tanji, Character Study, Gang AU, Gang Drama, Implied/Referenced Attempted Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Harrassment, Implied/Referenced Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced discrimination, M/M, Mentioned Semi Eita - Freeform, Mentioned Suna Rintarou, Mentioned Ushijima Wakatoshi, Mentioned Washijo Tanji, Mentioned Yamagata Hayato - Freeform, Omega Shirabu Kenjirou, One-Sided Attraction, Past Pining Shirabu Kenjirou, Pining Tendou Satori, Shiratorizawa is a Gang, Tendou Satori-Centric, This Is Not A Happy Fic Folks, mentioned minor character death(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-06 21:12:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16395194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLaLumina/pseuds/LaLaLumina
Summary: "None of them had been the same after Satori left. Ushijima's absence caused problems for them, and Suna's decision to change allegiance from Shiratorizawa to Inarizaki was a hard blow, but it was Satori's decision to leave that acted as the catalyst for everything to spiral out of control."Satori decides to return to his old gang, but he left when he was sixteen. Many things have changed since he left Shiratorizawa seven years ago, and he might not get the warm welcome he's hoping for. Instead, he'll learn just how much his absence impacted the gang, and that if he wants to come back, he's going to have to prove his loyalty.Or suffer at the hands of the people he still considers family.





	1. The Wreck I've Made

**Author's Note:**

  * For [White_roses_77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_roses_77/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Hotel for the Broken](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13084488) by [White_roses_77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_roses_77/pseuds/White_roses_77). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers!
> 
> Once again, I've got another one-shot for you based off White_rose_77's work, Hotel for the Broken. This is meant to take place two days after Satori attempted to rape Semi.
> 
> This was an attempt at fleshing out a character who is an antagonist in Hotel for the Broken. I would not consider him a villain. My heart went out to him when I caught glimpses of a person who genuinely cares beneath the alpha mask.
> 
> I also wanted to try and incorporate a little bit of his personality from canon manga and anime and show how that personality no longer fits the older Satori in Rose's story.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this piece!
> 
> The Title is based off the song Happier by Marshmello ft. Bastille. I found that this song perfectly fit Satori's failed relationship with Semi in Hotel for the Broken.

Tendou watched his breath billow in the chilly night air as he trudged down the narrow street.

His steps were loud to his own ears, the slick crunch of wet asphalt from his black boots being the only noise permeating the air. He wrapped his arms around himself, taking warmth from the thick, black puffer jacket that adorned his torso. It was the only thing truly keeping him warm.

The street was dark save for the few apartment windows that were filled with a dull, yellow light. It was also deserted, only a few stray cars on the sides of the street. While it was still considered inside the city, this area was far less populated and not as well maintained. The road rarely had cars passing over it nowadays, which explained the red-haired alpha's nonchalance while trudging down the middle of the street. There were cracks in the asphalt, concrete cracked and lifted where trees had been planted on the sidewalk, the roots growing too large for the concrete to hide. Most of the apartments themselves looked old and dilapidated, far from what they were like when Tendou grew up here. There were a few newer apartments, but even they looked aged with stain and grime. Those who had walls to keep people from entering so easily were not only dirty and discolored, but were also covered in new and old graffiti.

The alpha tilted his head back slightly, letting his half-lidded gaze drift to his right, spotting nobody outside on their balconies. It was too cold a night for that. What little snow that fell during his walk had quickly melted and had wet the ground around him. He let out a sigh as he raked through his hair with gloved fingers, relieved to feel no wetness seeping through his gloves. His hair, gelled up in its usual style, had thankfully not been effected by the snowflakes that had fallen from the sky earlier.

It had been a long trek, but he was now on the street that lead to his old home. The five mile walk from his two-story house had taken him around an hour and a half. With his long strides and fit physique, Tendou's legs ate up the distance easily.

Two days had passed since the final incident with Semi, and Tendou couldn't take it anymore. The silence was too much.

He expected to feel relief after he and Semi broke up. That Semi at least was in good hands with Konoha. That he no longer had to deal with Semi's erratic moods, his drinking habits, his drug abuse, and his pill-popping addiction. That he not longer had to anticipate being bombarded with physical and verbal abuse every time he came home from work. That he no longer had to be a part of the endless screaming matches they got into whenever he didn't give Semi a good enough answer or gave a  _'weak'_  response. That he no longer felt forced to have sex from Semi's requests after a fight or a major breakdown from the omega. That he no longer had the responsibility of giving Semi a child weighing over his head.

And yet, in the wake of Semi's departure, the house's silence screamed out Tendou's transgressions. It wouldn't let his feelings stray outside the guilt, pain, and horror of his own actions.

The tall alpha knew he was just as guilty for their deteriorated relationship; maybe more so than Semi himself.

He was the one who never told Semi the truth: that he never wanted kids. He was the one who didn't participate in the bonding process whenever Semi was pregnant. He was the one who never made any real effort to help Semi with his addictions. He was the one who started some of those fights. He was the one who ultimately caused all the miscarriages Semi had while they were together. He was the one who pushed Semi down the stairs. He was the one who caused Semi's grievous injuries. He was the one who caused the miscarriage of their most recent child, whom Semi had named Kazue. He was the one who got angry at Semi's stubbornness and unwillingness to tell Konoha the truth of his behavior while they were moving Semi's stuff out of his house. He was the one who threatened to show Konoha the videos he had as proof of Semi's addictions and unusual mood swings. He was the one who allowed the fight in the kitchen that day to escalate. He was the one who let his alpha hind brain kick in and attempted to rape Semi in a rendition of what they always did after a fight: hate sex. He was the one who Konoha threw to the side to prevent it from actually becoming rape. He was the one who caused the fear and tears in Semi's eyes.

He was guilty.

And this choice, this decision, was the only thing he could think of that would help him escape some of the guilt and the newfound loneliness.

The guilt he deserved to feel, but he couldn't handle the loneliness. He may have worked alone for the past few years, but he hadn't lived life all alone. He'd had Semi. He had made a home for himself with Semi. Without the omega, however, his home was no longer a home but a prison.

So, he decided to risk the backlash from those he once called family and return to the only other home he's ever known: the housing and headquarters of the Shiratorizawa gang.

 

Tendou stopped at the end of the street and used the backs of his hands to wipe away his silent tears. Tears of frustration and pain and grief.  
He didn't know how long he'd had them streaking down his face, but luckily his eyes didn't feel puffy; just wet. The musings and thoughts that had raced through his head moments ago have come at him in a cycle over the past two days. This hasn't been the first time he's broken down crying and it isn't the first time he's snapped out of his vicious inner monologue, something he never used to experience, to find his vision blurry with tears with wet trails on his cheeks. He relaxed his jaw, which had been clenched in an unconscious effort to stave off any sobs from escaping his lips. His eyes had only just lost their puffy redness from when he had cried on-and-off throughout the rest of the day after hurting Semi again. He didn't want the puffiness to come back, not when he was planning to reunite with his family. It had been years since he'd seen any of them, and he didn't want to return looking like a vulnerable wreck in front of his brothers.

Having clear vision once more, the lanky alpha lifted his head to rest his eyes on the huge, traditional-style apartment complex in front of him. Two taller, narrower, more modern-looking apartment complexes flanked each side of the older one. They were the nicest looking apartments in the area, but they no longer had the regal or pristine appearance they used to have before Tendou left. The street ended at a T junction, where drivers or pedestrians were able to make a right or a left onto the new street. It also allowed the gang more options to leave from their home base if the need ever arose.

 

He didn't see many cars parked in the mini parking lots flanking the narrow apartments, but there were enough cars there for him to assume that there must be at least a few people inside the main building.

He could only hope he would be accepted back in without too much hostility.

Tendou mentally pushed his self-deprecating thoughts concerning himself and Semi to the back of his mind, unwilling to dwell on them anymore. He needed to be in the present if he was going to sneak into the building before him.

He let his eyes scan the buildings around him, unable to spot anyone in the typical watch positions. There was no sign of movement anywhere, and it put him on the alert as much as it puzzled him. He may not have Yamagata's sharp eyes, but he had been trained to spot his comrades from the ground years back.

And so far he saw no one and heard nothing but the emptiness in the air.

Pulling up his hood, Tendou kept his previous stride but lightened his steps and cautioned his movements as he crossed from one street to the next. He left the asphalt for the smooth pavement of the sidewalk.

A frown tugged at his lips, as even being less than twenty feet away from the front door, there was still no sinking feeling or prickle of awareness in his subconscious that would usually indicate an incoming attack or someone watching him. He, like many of his gang brothers, had spent years honing his senses to be attuned to the slightest change in the air. Washijo-san, when the beta had been alive, had always encouraged them to trust their instincts when it came to detecting danger and responding to any form of hostility. And right now, there were no warning bells going off in Satori's head, nor did he feel the need to leave or dodge anything. It was weird.

Satori didn't like it. Not one bit.

 _'What the hell is going on? Where is everyone?'_  he thought to himself with a frustrated sense of confusion as he stepped onto the left side of the lawn, heading toward the large window on that side. With his long legs, he easily stepped over the narrow garden that was still filled with a multitude of different flowers and rested his left foot on the window sill.

The sight of those flowers brought a comfort to him that he hadn't felt so strongly in a while; it meant that at least Reon or Shirabu still lived here.

He looked through the window into the room. It was still the living room, with a couch situated just below the window and a TV placed up against the wall. The room, however, was dark and it was hard to distinguish anything else. Nobody was in the room, not from what Satori could see at least. He saw no obvious locking mechanism inside the window, despite the fact that the windows appeared relatively new. His irritation toward the state of his old gang grew.

 _'What dumbass is running this place? This would never happen under my watch.'_ he growled inwardly as he easily lifted up the window and silently leaped through to land softly on the couch in a sitting position.

Still no one came out to attack him, and nobody rushed into the room at the sound of his body landing on the couch. He looked around him, able to better make out the room. His eyes widened at the realization that little about the room had changed since he'd left it. The TV was new, as was the couch, but they were in the same spots the originals had occupied.

Getting the sense that nobody was aware of his presence, he left the window open in case he needed to make a quick escape. This may be his home, but he had not yet been accepted back in yet.

Satori smirked as he leisurely got to his feet once more, stretching languidly as if he had been sitting instead of walking for the past few hours.

"Wooo!!!!" came an echoed cheer that halted the alpha's movements, his eyes widening at the sound.

He sniffed the air quietly, focusing more now on scent than the nostalgia of the room around him. He could smell his family, both new and old smells filling his nostrils.

He looked to the right, spotting the staircase near the front door, and walked quietly over to peer up the steps. Nobody was hiding there in wait for someone to open the door. Straight ahead, from the front door, was a long hallway, and that is where Satori finally spotted light. If he recalled, the light he was seeing should be coming from the kitchen.

"Yes! One more time!" came another shout from down the hallway. The voice sounded familiar, but it was a little deeper than the voice he had heard in his youth.

Satori stalked down the hall silently, his shrewd eyes widening once more as the room with all the light came into view.

It was the kitchen, and it was completely redone.

The kitchen was made large enough to accommodate multiple people eating at once, but the layout and everything else was so contemporary now compared to when Satori lived here. At the sizable, L-shaped island and cooking station, there sat two alphas on modern looking stools watching a volleyball game on a flat screen TV attached to the wall.

He immediately recognized the larger alpha as Reon, his warm, cinnamon-apple smell lightly filling Satori's nose. Despite his secondary gender, Reon's alpha scent was weaker than usual alphas, though Satori suspected the alpha actively suppressed his scent. It had a gentle, sweet note to it that was warm and inviting, which complimented his level-headed, mild-mannered demeanor.

The other alpha was the one who had been making all the noise. Satori knew this from recognizing his scent and his haircut. After all these years, Goshiki still maintained his partial bowl-cut. While still more lean, the red-haired alpha could see that the younger alpha's muscles have filled out a little more, making him appear more broad from behind. His excitement only sharpened his combined sweet orange and clove scent.

Sometimes referred to as "Shiratorizawa's Bloodhound", Goshiki was the member of the gang who was gifted with an extraordinary sense of smell and especially sensitive taste receptors. Remembering this, it only solidified the belief that Reon was supressing his natural alphan scent.

Satori flinched and took a step back when Goshiki leaped to his feet with a cry of jubilation, Reon raising his fist in the air with a shout as the TV erupted in boisterous cheers. Goshiki's stool fell back and met the ground with a clang.

_"And there you have it, folks! With that crushing spike from Ushijima, Ryujin Nippon have won gold for Japan in the Asian Games!"_

At the mention of the alpha's name, Satori's heart stopped. His face froze, his neck slowly moving to look between the two alphas to see the screen. There he was, the alpha he used to consider his best friend, the one he grew up with, the one whom he once harbored a major crush on. On the screen, he was surrounded by overjoyed teammates who slapped his back and crowded him with smiles on their faces and unheard words of ecstasy escaping their lips. That was Wakatoshi's family now, and even if it wasn't obvious to those who didn't know him, Satori could tell the tall, powerful and devastatingly handsome alpha was happy.

It had been a long time since he'd seen Ushijima, the last time being before he left the gang to start a life with Semi. And looking at the alpha now, he looked good.

Really good.

And it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that even this far from the TV, Satori can see how tall the alpha is now, and how his shirt tightly hugged his muscular frame. His hair was still the same style it was when he was part of Shiratorizawa, but now it framed a chiseled face that many alphas could only wish looked as good on them. Even years later, the red-head could see the authority in his old friend's stance, the same authority he had when he told the gang he was leaving to live with his mother, to go to school and to play volleyball.

In those mere seconds of seeing him, Satori felt it. He felt that same, bitter, heartbroken tug on his heart that he hadn't let himself feel in years. He swallowed thickly, feeling the beginning irritation in his eyes of brewing tears, and let one word tumble softly from his lips, unaware one of the two alphas had frozen at his audible gulp,

"'Toshi."

At that, both Reon and Goshiki whipped their heads around, their eyes resembling saucers after taking in the tall red-head.

Satori's eyes diverted to the two as soon as he saw them turn. His face morphed into a more relaxed expression, hunching forward in a non-threatening manner with his lips quirked in the way they remembered, "Hey guys." he greeted, waving his hand lightly.

"Satori," Reon breathed out, the shock undeniable in his deep voice as he let his eyes briefly scan the alpha up and down, appearing truly baffled by his appearance, "what-"

"Tendou-san!" Goshiki screeched, taking a step back only to bump into the island behind him.

 

 _'Was he that distracted by the game that he didn't even smell me until now? How disappointing.'_ Satori thought, unable to fathom the idea that the younger had not noticed his scent when he entered the complex. The other option, however, only frustrated him more; that Goshiki had smelled him but pushed the possibility aside and ignored his senses.

If they let him back, and let him lead the gang once more, that was going to change.

 

"Now now Goshiki-kun, is that any way to greet your old leader? Your older brother? Where is my hug?" the red-head chided, his eyes squinting and his face pulling into his typical, over-the-top smile as he flung his arms out wide.

 _'Creepy...'_ Reon thought, his gaze quietly flickering over to Tsutomu, the young alpha frozen and looking at his old leader with wide eyes. It looked like he was still processing the fact that Satori was actually here.

The dark-skinned alpha watched as Goshiki's eyes welled with tears, his nose quickly filling with mucus as he sniffled wetly after a few seconds. He took two, uncertain steps toward him before lurching forward to embrace the surprised red-head in a crushing hug. Reon gave a soft smile at the rough exhale from Satori. He observed the taller alpha's face soften from the boisterous grin he had on seconds ago into a more relaxed expression as he returned the hug. He noticed, however, the lurking pain and sadness in Satori's expression reappear from mere moments ago.

He hadn't returned to them merely for power and control, he returned because he needed them.

 

None of them had been the same after Satori left. Ushijima's absence caused problems for them, and Suna's decision to change allegiance from Shiratorizawa to Inarizaki was a hard blow, but it was Satori's decision to leave that acted as the catalyst for everything to spiral out of control. It had taken nearly five years for the gang to stabilize, and even now they weren't nearly as feared as they had been when Ushijima was being groomed to lead by Washijo-san. 

The old beta had realized that at the time, many of the younger children in the gang had enhanced senses, and he sought to hone each of their senses to their fullest potential. He put so much stock in the potential of the new generation that he had kicked out a good portion of the older gang members. The only ones he allowed to stay, members who had been a part of Shiratorizawa for longer than the newly created unit members, were the individuals who had been able to complete Washijo's challenge to defeat each new unit member. The old group that Washijo-san had formulated in the last years of his life, however, was no more.

Ushijima Wakatoshi, "The Eagle of Shiratorizawa", was now a professional athlete, having severed contact with his old life completely.

Soekawa Jin, "The Goose of Shiratorizawa", the grandson of Washijo-san, was dead.

Reon himself, "The Condor of Shiratorizawa", no longer had the authority and influence from years back, what with the new influx of old and new gang members rejoining over the past two years. His views often clashed with the majority of everyone else, so he usually restricted himself to those of Shiratorizawa who he knew from the original unit.

Yunohama Jurou, "The Ibis of Shiratorizawa", Soekawa's best friend, was dead.

Goshiki Tsutomu, "The Raven of Shiratorizawa", had lost the desire to lead, after seeing the two alphas he most admired relinquish their leadership position in the gang for other pursuits.

Shirabu Kenjirou, "The Swan of Shiratorizawa", despite being an omega and currently facing discrimination from new gang members, had become the foundation of the gang and proven his worth many times over, as far as Reon saw it.

Kawanishi Taichi, "The Crane of Shiratorizawa", may be the gang's current leader, but for awhile he would not take the position after Satori left. He was still quiet, but the alpha had learned to better communicate and lead his family.

Sagae Yusho, "The Dove of Shiratorizawa", the nervous but friendly peacemaker for the younger members of the team, was dead.

Akakura Shou, "The Sparrow of Shiratorizawa", the youngest of their group, was dead.

Yamagata...well, he didn't know whether "The Hawk of Shiratorizawa" was alive or not. Shirabu had told them to assume Yamagata was dead a few months after the alpha left for his last mission and didn't return. Reon felt terrible for thinking it, but he was relieved that his old friend was no longer a part of Shiratorizawa.

 

 

It had been hard for all of them, losing so many family members in the span of 6 years or so, but now that one of them has returned, Reon could only wonder...

 

"Tendou-san, are you okay?" came Goshiki's slightly muffled voice, pulling his face away from the taller alpha to look up at him.

Satori loosened his arms around the young alpha to look down at him. His eyes were bright with feigned curiosity and his fond smile grew tight at the edges of his mouth, "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're not purring like you used to, and your scent is sour. What happened?" the young alpha asked, looking confused and hurt as Satori pulled his arms away. Reon watched as the red-head slowly unzipped his puffer jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders so it fell to the floor.

Satori nudged the jacket away with his left foot, then grabbed Goshiki's right hand and yanked him back into his embrace. Tsutomu's eyes were wide at the sudden action, but relaxed when Satori's high pitched purring filled the silent room. He rubbed his face into the alpha's long-sleeve gray henley, Satori's natural scent more permeable without the jacket. The combination of Satori's scent, the sound of his reedy purr and feeling the vibrations that came from his purr soothed Goshiki greatly.

"Still a needy and perceptive little shit aren't you?" Satori mumbled, his voice sounding loud in the quiet room. Despite his rough words, Reon could hear the affection in his voice and see the loving grin he had on his face for the younger alpha. Goshiki's only response was to begin purring as well. Goshiki's purr was soft and gentle, but was steady compared to the oddly pitched purr Satori was making.

Getting no verbal response from the younger alpha, Satori's chuckle interrupted his purr, which quickly petered out after the interruption.

 

"Now Goshiki, your comment reminded me of something I wanted to ask you." Satori said, his voice still sweet but the tone was odd to Reon as he watched the red-head grab Tsutomu's shoulders and gently push him back to look at the alpha in the face.

"Yes Tendou-san?" Tsutomu asked, his voice still choked and congested from his runny nose and blurred tears that were smeared across his face. The kid, however, was as oblivious as ever to subtle changes in behavior, and his own tone was still bright and full of happiness at having his old leader back.

"Were you able to smell me when I came in?" Satori asked, narrowing his eyes when the smile disappeared from Goshiki's face. The alpha finally caught on to what Tendou was implying, unable to look the red-head in the eyes. Goshiki lowered his chin, his gaze dropping to the ground as he turned his head slightly to the right.

It was both a sign of submission and shame.

"Yes, Tendou-san." Goshiki mumbled, his admission causing a frown to form on Satori's face.

"Then why didn't you come out and confront me? I was trespassing on your territory."

Satori's words came out slowly, the kindness petered out of his voice and was replaced with a seriousness that bordered on scolding.

"I-...I..." Goshiki faltered, his eyes widening at the sudden change in character from the alpha he still admired so much. He could, however, understand what his old senpai was asking him and the answer to that question only filled him with shame and embarrassment.

"You are supposed to protect your family and keep Shiratorizawa's base of operations safe, and you failed to do that, Goshiki."

Reon could detect the disappointment and growing irritation in Satori's voice as he berated the younger alpha. And he could no longer stand by and not speak up for Tsutomu, not after all the young alpha had gone through after Satori left.

"Satori, wait, you don't understand. Goshiki-"

 

"What the  _fuck_  is going on here?" came an irate voice from down the hall. The voice was level and loud, but not shouting.

 

All three alphas froze.

Satori looked at the two before him. Reon's eyes widened at the sound of the newcomer, immediately shutting his mouth. Goshiki shoulders stiffened under his hands, his eyes also wide though his nose scrunched up briefly; likely from the onslaught of so many scents filling the first floor. The young alpha quickly brought up his arm to clean his tear and snot-covered face.

Satori slowly turned his head to the left, having been pushed just outside the threshold of the opening to the kitchen when Goshiki slammed into him earlier for his hug. He recognized the voice, but not the aggression and authority behind it. Tendou knew he had wanted this alpha to take on the mantle of gang leader after he left, but remembering what the alpha was like so long ago, he was shocked to hear his voice carry so far.

When he laid eyes on him, he was amazed to see the younger alpha had gone through a growth spurt. Even from this distance, Satori wagered that the alpha was now taller than him. His build was lean but broad; muscular but nowhere near as bulky as Ushijima had appeared on the TV. His ginger hair was short now, his thick hair feathered out in softly curved spikes over his head. It was the eyes, however, that had Satori let go of Goshiki's shoulders and turn to fully face the newcomers who had rushed down the stairs with alphas and betas following after him.

_'Were they in a meeting?'_

"Well?" Kawanishi asked, his lidded gaze no longer surprised but blazing with a cold fire. He was pissed, absolutely livid. 

"Ah! Kawanishi-kun! So good to see you! I was wondering if you were home! I was just catching up with Goshiki-kun and Reon." Satori's movements and expressions were of exaggerated surprise and exuberance, though he hunched his posture slightly once more to appear non-threatening.

Kawanishi, however, wasn't buying it. It may have been years, but he still knew when Satori's wasn't being completely genuine; when the alpha had an underlying motive.

Whispers and low growls came from the alphas and betas behind Kawanishi, some looking shocked but Satori could tell that none were happy to see him at the moment. The tension in the hallway only grew.

"This isn't your home, Tendou-san. You made that clear when you left." the ginger alpha growled, taking a step forward challengingly.

_'Ah...he **is**  the leader now...well, Plan B then.'_

The smile on Satori's face grew eerily wide and his eyes narrowed further, lifting his chin slightly in a show of nonchalance. Goshiki knew that look though, it was a look that was ready to challenge and fight back.

"You see Kawanishi, that's where you're wrong. This place is my home, though with the state you have it in I'm ashamed to call it such. You have nobody I saw or sensed guarding outside, the window was unlocked, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the front door was unlocked!" Satori spat, his voice starting off light and flippant before escalating as his words became harsh and accusing.

Kawanishi's left eye twitched, the tips of his fingers spasmed briefly, and his claws slowly emerged.

"You had no one in here on guard, Goshiki didn't respond to my smell and you apparently couldn't hear me at all. Well, can you hear me now Taichi?! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!" Satori shouted with bared fangs, standing his ground as Kawanishi stormed toward him.

Shiratorizawa's gang leader wouldn't tolerate such disrespect to him and his family any longer, especially when spoken in the gang's home base.

 

Satori's eyes widened in the moment that Kawanishi slammed the flat of his large palm against his right cheek, his face crashing into the wall from the force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so...this was supposed to be a one-shot...but with how that part ended, I figured it'd be safer to split this one-shot up into two chapters to better help transition into the next half of this piece.
> 
> I'll definitely be reading this over and making minor changes if I spot anything off or wrong.
> 
> Next chapter we will see some conflict, resolution, Satori's self-reflection and the appearance of Kenjirou.
> 
> And yes, I have created a headcanon that when on missions, the members of Washijo's dream team all have bird code-names. XD
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I know that kudos, bookmarks, and comments aren't required at all...please note though, that they never cease to make my day and motivate me. I love reading all you have to say and responding to you lovely people. :D
> 
> And remember! If you liked this piece at all, please go check out Rose's story! Hotel for the Broken is the inspiration for this piece and it is an awesome story! If you enjoy long reads with plenty of drama and action and plot twists and dark themes, go read her story! XD


	2. A Flame in the Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...So!
> 
> I realized that Taichi and Satori had to hash things out before we got to the more nitty gritty detail stuff, so this has now become three chapters. XD
> 
> In this chapter, we get a flashback of some of the Shiratorizawa team members in their youth, followed by the confrontation and half-resolution between Satori and Taichi.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> *fingers crossed I was able to convey emotion decently*
> 
>  
> 
> **IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**
> 
>  
> 
> A few important things to note with this story.
> 
> 1\. The Shiratorizawa team Washijo created to represent the gang is incredibly close knit. All of the members of the team will refer to each other as brother from time to time. Just because they call each other brother, however, does not mean they are related by blood.  
> The only ones on the team who are actually related to each other in this deleted scene are Suna Rintarou and Tendou Satori.  
> In Rose's most recent chapter, it has been confirmed that the two alphas are half-brothers. The problem, however, is that it hasn't been confirmed whether either of the alphas are aware of this. My guess is that they don't know, since neither have mentioned it as that is important information that would affect their dynamics in the past and present. Plus, Manabu was never mentioned to the younger generation by name. My guess is that Washijo made every effort to try and distance himself from the obedience school after awhile, especially after he achieved his 'perfect' team. Which explains why the middle-aged adults know of Tooru Sr. and his school while Satori and his generation aren't all that in the know of it.  
> In this piece, I have chosen to make it so that the two were never made privy to the fact that they are related or share a mother.
> 
> Therefore, when Satori calls Tsutomu little brother, this comes from their bond as gang brothers, not because they are actually related by blood.
> 
> 2\. In Rose's AU, Satori and Shinsuke are a year older than the typical 'third-years'.
> 
> In my deleted scene here, I've made it so that Satori, Wakatoshi, and Hayato are a year older than the other 'third years'. This makes their ages in the current timeline 24 years old.  
> Reon is 23, Taichi and Kenjirou are 22, and Rintarou and Goshiki are 21.
> 
> Akaashi Keiji is not mentioned here, but for the purposes of Hotel for the Broken readers, I've made it so that the line of children goes like so:  
> Satori - 24  
> Kaname - 23  
> Keiji - 22  
> Rintarou - 21

Flashback

Ushijima = 8 Years Old  
Tendou = 8 Years Old  
Yamagata = 8 Years Old  
Soekawa = 7 Years Old  
Oohira = 7 Years Old  
Yunohama = 6 Years Old  
Kawanishi = 6 Years Old  
Shirabu = 6 Years Old  
Suna = 5 Years Old  
Tsutomu = 5 Years Old  
Sagae = 5 Years Old  
Akakura = 5 Years Old

“Wakatoshiiii!!!!” Satori screeched happily as he ran through the meadow of flowers.

He stopped right behind said alpha, who was crouched on the ground. He tilted his head to the side, watching the unmoving boy for a few moments with round eyes before smiling brightly and proceeding to flop unceremoniously over his back.

A sharp exhale of air was all Satori received in response. The red-head lifted his head from Wakatoshi’s right shoulder to look at the olive-haired alpha curiously.

“Whatcha doin’?” he asked loudly, confused by the frown on his fellow alpha’s face. Following his gaze, Satori looked up to spot a reddish looking butterfly fluttering up and away from them.

“Ooohhh, pretty.” the skinny red-head cooed, letting out his high, reedy purr as he pressed the left side of his neck against Wakatoshi’s, rubbing their scent glands together affectionately.

The innocent frown didn’t leave Ushijima’s face as he watched the butterfly disappear into the sky. His only response to Tendou’s tactile behavior was to tilt his neck slightly to offer more room for his friend.

“You scared away the butterfly, Tendou.” Ushijima stated, the red-head able to hear the pout in his voice. Satori only giggled in response.

“I didn’t mean to ‘Toshi! Besides, there are plenty of butterflies here!” he swept his arm out comically, despite his body still draped over Ushijima’s back.

They were in Washijo-san’s large garden― a sprawling three acres. It was only a five-minute drive from the gang’s home base. It had been passed onto their old leader after his mother died many years ago. The colorful garden had been made for her, and she had been in charge of designing the layout. She had even helped plant many of the trees that, to this day, continued to bloom beautiful colors and provide shade for anyone near them. Washijo brought them here to spend the morning and afternoon exploring the land at the end of each month; a reward for all their hard work and progress in their individual and group training.

 

Shortly after the reassurances left his mouth, a brave, blue butterfly landed lightly on Satori’s mop of red hair. Another, smaller, white butterfly fluttered over to settle on a flower a few inches away from Ushijima’s shoe.

“See? They love us.” Satori whispered loudly, his reedy purr hitching and starting up again.

“You said there are plenty of butterflies around here, Tendou. Which means this shouldn’t be unusual.” Wakatoshi stated plainly, the red-head grinning at the genuine confusion in his voice.

“There are! Buuttt, you usually see them at a distance, or have to approach them. This little guy came to us. That’s special ‘Toshi.” the older alpha gushed, his voice growing softer and his purr louder.

A soft ‘oh’ left Wakatoshi’s lips, his eyes dilating and his expression full of wonder as he watched the little butterfly quietly.

The silence was brief, lasting only a few seconds before Satori spoke up again, his eager grin returning.

“And you know what this means?” he asked.

“What?”

“It means we are blessed by our ancestors, and that we will be together forever! Like a married couple!” Satori explained, his final words ending in a jubilant cheer. He lifted himself off Wakatoshi to wave his arms around happily. The blue butterfly flew away from the two, never to be noticed by either of them.

“But we’re alphas.” Wakatoshi stated, sounding puzzled once more as he stood up and turned to face Satori with his adorable frown.

“So?” the red-head challenged, his grin slowly transforming into pursed lips and his arms falling limply at his sides.

“The adults say that alphas aren’t supposed to marry other alphas.”

“Yeah, but do I always act like an alpha?” Satori inquired, his ears straining to hear the response he wanted.

“…No.” The slightly shorter alpha looked like he wanted to say more, but he remained silent.

 

It didn’t matter how much Wakatoshi wanted to point out all the alphan characteristics Satori had; the red-head was adamant about being as omega-like as possible. Especially when Wakatoshi was around. The olive-haired boy didn’t understand it but with how happy and playful Satori was when he acted like an omega, the younger alpha didn’t have it in his heart to dissuade him. The only thing Wakatoshi didn’t like was that other gang members have taken notice.

The adults have recently―as in the past year―have taken to mocking Satori for his attempts to be seen as an omega.

His body was poked fun at for being too bony and not at all like the soft, rounded, plush skin of a typical omega child. It didn’t matter how much Satori ate, his metabolism didn’t allow him to gain body fat. That, and Washijo-san was very strict on their diets and workout regimens.

His outfit choices were constantly criticized and made fun of to his face and behind his back, despite the young alpha having better fashion sense than the lot of them. Satori would use what little money he earned, from the few missions he had participated in, to buy fun and colorful blouses from the omega section at various department stores. He always tried them on for Wakatoshi in their shared bedroom. Wakatoshi’s favorite tops were the ones with the short, fluttering sleeves.

His change in hairstyle was scorned by the alphas and betas for looking too submissive and not intimidating enough. His current hairstyle laid flat over his head, hair falling between his eyes to brush against his nose, framing his face and resting just below his cheek bones. It was long enough to cover his ears but his ears were always made visible. Satori had also recently layered his own hair, to give it 'more dimension'.

Some of the older alphas were even brazen enough to jeeringly inform him that with his hair down he could pull off an omega face and look just like his mother. Wakatoshi knew Satori had never met his mother, despite many older gang members taunting the red-head with the knowledge that his mother was well known among them. And while Satori wanted so badly to meet them or just know about them, he was not only shut down by Washijo-san, but the others proceeded to fill his mind with lies.  
Goshiki revealed this to Wakatoshi one night, barging into his room crying and telling him how he had overheard some of the adults be meanies. When he asked why they were meanies, Goshiki told him they had been telling Tendou-san lies about how his mother never wanted him, that they had already moved on, were planning to have more kids, and that Tendou wasn’t anything special or worth keeping in his mother’s eyes. Washijo-san made them stop when he caught them harassing Tendou, so they couldn’t be true; at least that is what Goshiki thought when expressing this to Wakatoshi.

Wakatoshi, however, wasn’t so sure. Washijo-san may not join in with the other adults on mocking Satori’s parentage, and he doesn’t put up with any of the adults mistreating his ‘prodigies’, but he never disagreed with their verbiage concerning Satori’s mother.

At first, Satori had taken the statements about his mother with a grain of salt, ignoring the initial pain those remarks sparked in his heart. As time passed, however, the constant verbal assault wore him down emotionally, to a point that Satori now truly believed his mother did not want him and that hurt him terribly. Wakatoshi was waiting for the alpha’s short temper and vindictive nature to be directed toward his mother, but for now it has merely become a sore spot in Satori’s life that makes him sad and even cry if the adults are particularly harsh with their words.

No matter how often his hair is compared to his mother’s hairstyle, however, Satori has stubbornly kept it down. Personally, Wakatoshi likes Satori with his hair down, and has told him so whenever Satori looks especially sad after being bullied because of it.

His treatment of the younger kids fell under scrutiny as well. For just as much as he enjoyed rough-housing, taunting and provoking others and competing to win, he began to be doting and motherly when things were more calm. It was all very confusing for Wakatoshi.

One moment, he would watch Satori defeat an alpha thrice his age, twice his size and twice his strength with vengeful glee. Then shortly after, Satori would proceed to cheer on Taichi during training, afterwards smothering him with hugs and nuzzles, all while purring loudly. He would then proceed to check the younger alpha over if he noticed any indication from Taichi that he was hurt.

Taichi used to frequently complained about how loud Tendou was, to a point where he would cover his ears and cry if the red-head responded to his complaints by screaming. So it was understandable that Wakatoshi was shocked when he begun to notice, a few weeks ago, how Tendou has started lowered his voice for Taichi when they were only a few feet from each other. Tendou was being considerate, something Wakatoshi wasn’t used to seeing from the red-head.

He made a conscious effort to mask his scent for Goshiki, even wearing patches over his scent glands to block his smell entirely for the young alpha’s sensitive nose. He made sure to make more noise when approaching Akakura, since the young beta startled so easily and didn’t respond well to Satori’s normally silent movements. He had grown more affectionate and encouraging with Sagae, and actively listened to the young alpha whenever he had something to say. He began to include Suna in their social circle instead of making fun of how quiet the younger alpha was. He stopped poking fun at Soekawa and Yunohama’s lack of enhanced senses and began asking the two for their opinions or their assistance. He began asking Reon for help in training and has even joined Reon in learning medical skills. He has also grown more aware and respectful toward Shirabu, despite their odd rivalry and verbal sparring, to a point where he now asks permission before hugging or a laying a finger on the touch-sensitive omega.

Even with Yamagata, their newest member who joined only two months ago, Satori has been nothing but caring and understanding toward the short alpha.

It never sat well with Wakatoshi that Yamagata had been stolen from his family, but no matter what he said, Washijo-san refused to speak on the matter. The dark-brown-haired male was still quiet and withdrawn from the group. Satori had told him that Hayato just wanted to go back home to his parents. The young alpha tried to put on a tough front, and already had the fighting skills under his belt to enforce his strength, but Satori had confided in Wakatoshi that he had stumbled upon the spiky-haired alpha, on more than one occasion, curled into a ball and crying quietly. It was Satori who took every opportunity to involve Hayato in the group and introduce him to everyone; to prove that they wouldn’t hurt him and had already accepted him as family.

Growing up, before he started trying to be more omega-like, Satori being considerate was like a double-edged sword. There was always an underlying insult to his words and actions when he chose to be considerate or merciful toward others. Ushijima, Soekawa, Tendou, Yunohama, Kawanishi, Suna, Goshiki and Sagae were all born into the gang, meaning that at least one or both of their parents were official Shiratorizawa members. Akakura was brought into the gang before his first birthday, and Oohira joined their ranks when he was four years old, meaning both could also testify for what was considered Satori’s normal behavior.

Things changed, however, after Shirabu joined the gang at five-years-old. He was the only omega child at the time, and for some reason Washijo-san was adamant on having him join the young alphas and betas as a member of their newly formed unit. His training was different from theirs, however, and the group didn’t see him all the time. When they did, Washijo-san was always present―at least for his first year as a Shiratorizawa member.

It was around three months after Shirabu’s indoctrination into the gang that Satori started acting different. He became more clingy with Wakatoshi, more outgoing and playful, and dressing and acting more like an omega. Wakatoshi wondered at first if Satori was putting on an act to rile up Shirabu, but as time passed the olive-haired alpha realized that this might just be Satori's softer side. That he tried to ascribe his actions as omegan behavior, buried under all the alpha bravado and teachings they received from Washijo-san and other Shiratorizawa members.

 

“Mhm! And y―”

“Momma! Papa!” came a loud wail from behind Satori, Wakatoshi tilting his head to the side and noticing that the approaching figure was Tsutomu.

Satori gave a proud, smug grin at the younger alpha’s voice.

“See? ‘Shiki has gotten so used to us being the parents when we play house, that he looks to us as his parental figures.”

“Tendou, we aren’t―”

“Momma!” Goshiki cried as he slammed against Satori’s back, hugging the taller alpha from behind.

Satori hummed happily, gently grabbing the small arms and pulling them away from his waist to turn around and look down at the dark-haired boy.

“What happened little button?” Satori asked, holding Goshiki at arms-length and letting out a comforting purr.

“R-Ri-Rin-kun hurt Ken-chan!” the little boy blubbered, wiping his eyes and looking up at the taller alphas, Wakatoshi now beside Satori.

“He did WHAT?!” Satori shouted dramatically, his eyes widening comically as he leaned back with a hand slapped to his mouth.

Wakatoshi’s gaze darkened at the pup’s revelation. Despite Satori’s behavior, Wakatoshi knew the red-head wasn’t truly worried or horrified with Rintarou’s behavior. The news, however, didn’t sit well with Wakatoshi at all.

 

Unlike the majority of the Shiratorizawa members, Wakatoshi’s father had taught him to respect omegas, that they were worthy of the reverence and the love and the understanding that all human beings deserved from each other.

Utsui Takashi was a mild-mannered alpha in a gang who valued aggressive, powerful and fearless men. He didn’t grow up in the gang but joined Shiratorizawa when he was twenty-three. He had joined out of desperation; with his career in volleyball over from a knee injury, and his parents unwilling to house him or help pay for the medical bills following his surgery and physical therapy, he was out of a job, with no home and little money. Two years into his life with Shiratorizawa, he met his soulmate, a woman named Ushijima Noriko.

Washijo-san and some of the gang elders wanted her to join the gang, especially if she was planning to bond with Takashi. When Takashi admitted that he and Noriko had not yet reached that stage in their relationship, they stopped pestering him about her. Things changed, however, when six months later, Noriko revealed she was pregnant. Takashi was over the moon and had let it slip to a gang member who relayed the information to the elders. Washijo was happy to hear the news, but things became difficult when Takashi relayed that Noriko wouldn’t be joining the gang.

When they found this out, Washijo and the elders deliberated for a few days in secret before returning to Utsui with an ultimatum. If she did not wish to join the gang, then they would allow it, but she would have to give up her child to have them raised by Takashi and the rest of Shiratorizawa as a gang member. While Utsui wasn’t the most valuable member in the gang, they knew of the Ushijima name. It was an old elite bloodline; a family of old money. Ushijima children were known to always be either alpha or omega and came from a long line of prodigies. The potential for a powerful Shiratorizawa member was there, maybe even the next leader; a perfect successor to Washijo’s leadership.

Noriko ultimately agreed to give up her child to Takashi, unwilling to further sully her family name anymore than she already had in having a child out of marriage and bonding. She also consented to having the child at the gang’s medical facility, with the knowledge that she would be released after having the child. Therefore, on the 13th of August, alpha male Ushijima Wakatoshi was born.

Takashi had chosen to give their child Noriko’s family name, to remember her by and to keep options for the babe open in case he ever left the gang for any reason. Noriko had been happy with his decision and was sad to leave her son.

There was this hope, however, in the back of her mind that assured her that she would see her boy again.

The gang was none the wiser and was elated to find out the child was an alpha male and would keep the Ushijima name.

Wakatoshi started receiving leadership lessons when he turned four, began combat training at age three, and his basic academics was kick-started at five-years-old. Washijo wanted the best for the young alpha, and Takashi could only be happy that someone in the gang shared his sentiment. The things they taught Wakatoshi, however, had their differences.

While Washijo taught him proper etiquette during meetings with other gangs, Takashi taught him proper table manners. When Washijo taught the importance of fearlessness and no mercy through combat training, Takashi taught him to respect all forms of life and that everyone and everything had a purpose. As Washijo instilled the need obedience and loyalty to the gang, Takashi encouraged him to enjoy life and follow his dreams and to never give up on them. Where Washijo encouraged him to never hold back his enhanced strength and use it to prove his superiority, Takashi taught him to control his strength so as to not needlessly harm or kill anyone. Takashi was well aware of what Washijo expected from his son. Therefore, he never failed to remind Wakatoshi that his enhanced strength and his family name did not make him better than anyone else. He had to work hard to reach his goals.

And even though Takashi knew that as a beta, Washijo was not overly aggressive, he was a ruthless man who wasn’t afraid to dole out punishments and threats. So, he did his best to make sure his son saw both sides of life: the gang life and the life a normal child. He made every effort to teach Wakatoshi about the importance of equality, that men and women deserved respect, and that all secondary genders were equally important, despite what he saw within Shiratorizawa and what their country’s view on secondary genders were.

Wakatoshi loved his father dearly and saw him as the strongest man in the gang. Because his father dared to be different, to be kind. But where his father was forgiving to those who wronged him or others, Wakatoshi was not.

 

“What happened?” Wakatoshi asked, ignoring Satori’s sharp side-glance and keeping his eyes on Tsutomu.

“I-I-I was-I was playing in the pond, and-and-and Ken-chan came up to tell us to get out of the water or-or Washijo-san would get mad.” Tsutomu stuttered over his choked sobs, rubbing his nose as water dripped down his face from his wet hair.

“Then-then Rin-chan got out of the water and told him to go away, that he can’t tell us what to do. Ken-chan called him an idiot, because he was just trying to keep them from getting in trouble. That’s when Rin-chan slapped him and told him that omegas don’t tell alphas what to do. He was gonna slap him again, but Yamagata-san stopped him! Yamagata-san looked and smelled really scary mad, so I ran to get you guys to come and help!” Goshiki explained, panting after passionately recalling what he heard and saw.

“Take us to them.” Wakatoshi ordered. Tsutomu nodded eagerly, spinning around and running back from where he came. Wakatoshi and Satori followed, though the sense of urgency was only felt by one of the older alphas.

“’Toshiiiii, come on, it sounds like Yamagata is handling it.” Satori whined, running at his side just a pace slower than the olive-haired male.

“I am the leader, it is my job to resolve this issue.”

“I’m sure Ken-chan is fine! He puts up with plenty of that treatment and hasn’t let it phase him yet.”

Wakatoshi glanced at the red-head, Satori flinching at the glare he received. It was rare for the taller alpha to be on the receiving end of Wakatoshi’s anger.

The slightly shorter male said nothing in response, just returned his focus forward and ran faster.

Satori huffed as he jogged after him, his eyes narrowing as he dragged his teeth against his bottom lip. He hoped that ‘perfect’ little omega left. He didn’t want to see Wakatoshi showering that irritating omega with any kind of concern.

_‘That goody-goody little bitch. I bet he expected that slap and still said what he did anyway. If that’s the case, then he deserved it.’_

 

End Flashback

 

Taichi took a deep breath, glaring at the slumped form of his old leader and mentor. The palm print on Tendou’s face was quickly reddening, and the four thin claw marks he left behind on the alpha’s face were already bleeding.

He leaned forward, gripping the front of Satori’s shirt to lift him up, his large fist pressing under the red-head’s jaw as his face was brought level to Taichi’s neck.

“I’ll take care of this. Those who are on duty, return to your stations. Those who are off duty, go get some rest.” Taichi ordered, his voice oddly calm despite how callously he was handling the unconscious alpha as he walked toward the living room. The betas and alphas present made way for their leader to walk past them.

Some of them nodded, leaving the house to head back to their respective rooms in the adjoining apartments. Some left to continue their shifts for the night. There were others, however, who couldn’t help but address the new elephant in the room.

“What will you be doing with that traitor?” Suna Takeshi growled, taking a step forward as Taichi dumped him on the couch. Satori groaned, slowly coming to from less than a minute after being knocked out.

The taller, younger alpha gave the older male an unimpressed look, “I don’t think that’s any of your business, is it?”

“You can’t possibly be thinking of allowing _him_ to rejoin?!” the dark-haired alpha snarled.

“You’re in no position to challenge my son, _Suna_.” came a voice that edged on a growl, the alpha’s family name spat out like a curse.

The slightly shorter alpha turned to glare at Taichi’s father, whose face was far more expressive in showing off his irritation toward the alpha when compared to his son’s typical flat affect.

“Take your petty squabbles out of the house―NOW.” Taichi ordered, pulling up his lip to reveal his elongated canines as he delivered his final order.

“Of course, son. Do what you need to.” the older alpha smiled, nodding his head as he dragged out a silently fuming Takeshi, the alpha glaring at Taichi and Satori.

 

The red-head had snapped his eyes open when Taichi had raised his voice, letting out a groan as he gingerly touched his cheek. He swallowed down the taste of blood in his mouth, tonguing the ripped flesh of his inner cheek. When he pulled his hand away from his face, he quietly observed the smeared red blood on his fingertips.

“Reon, take Goshiki to his room and get one ready for this ignorant piece of shit.” Taichi instructed, his voice more relaxed than it had been with the others.

He had not even sounded so comfortable when speaking with his own father. It just goes to show how strong the bonds that Washijo’s special team had forged in their youth still were. The three seemed even more comfortable and understanding toward each other than before Satori left, at least from what the red-head could see.

“Will he be okay?” Tsutomu whimpered, looking from Satori to Taichi sadly. He didn’t like seeing his older brother hurt, not after he just came back.

Both seemed caught off guard by the younger alpha's vulnerability, but it was Satori who recovered first and responded to him.

“I’ll be fine little brother! Don’t worry about me, alright? You just get some rest.” Satori assured him, trying to keep a light and cheerful voice, flinching at the pain from attempting to smile.

Taichi huffed softly, “He’s obviously fine Tsutomu.”

“Will he be here tomorrow?” Tsutomu asked, his voice small and uncertain. Reon had gently began leading the slightly shorter alpha toward the stairs, but at that question both had stopped to look at their gang leader.

It was quiet for a few long seconds before the ginger-haired male spoke, “Yes Tsutomu…you’ll see him tomorrow.”

Reon’s eyes widened, as did Tsutomu’s, tears filling the passionate alpha’s eyes.

“Thank you, Taichi-san!” Tsutomu shouted, bowing to his waist briefly before turning to dash up the stairs. Reon watched him go with a sad smile before letting his eyes drift back to the two by the couch.

His gaze lingered on Satori’s face, which didn’t escape Taichi’s notice.

“Do you want me to―”

“A medical kit is being put together for him as we speak.” Taichi assured the older alpha. Satori’s head tilting to the side in confusion.

“…Oh, of course.” the burly man murmured, his eyes flickering around the room for a short second before he turned to head up the stairs as well.

“Good night, Satori. It’s good to have you back.” the dark-skinned alpha’s voice seemed loud in the silence of the room, bending his head to give the wide-eyed red-head a warm and relieved smile before disappearing up the stairs.

 

Both alphas watched Reon leave. Once he vanished from sight, Satori let his gaze flit back to Taichi, trying to give a cheeky grin with a hand cupped over his bleeding and swelling cheek.

“Well, at least they’re happy to see me.” he teased.

“You don’t deserve it, not with how you’ve treated them, how you treated us.” Taichi responded, his voice sounding bland to any normal person listening.

But Satori was no normal person; in this situation, he was family. He could hear the hurt, the anger, and the weariness.

It made the half-smile fall from his face.

“What do you mean? I―”

“Do you want to know why Tsutomu didn’t respond to you breaking and entering?” Taichi asked, cutting the alpha off. A dark edge was present in his tone, filled with something new. Something that Satori had never received from Taichi, at least until now.

Blame.

Taichi's expression was impassive as he looked down at the red-head, watching his shoulders hunch up slightly. The alpha’s aristocratic eyes, however, were full of a cold fire that spoke of shared pain and understanding with the remaining members of Washijo-san’s Shiratorizawa team.

He’ll let Satori return, and he had an offer for the older alpha that he knew he wouldn’t refuse.

But first, to make sure he suffers.

Suffers from knowing the pain of those he once considered family; still claimed to consider family. Pain that he brought upon them by leaving.

He had a duty to protect his family, no matter what it was from. In this case, he would protect their hearts.

“Well?” Taichi prompted as the silence stretched.

“Tell me.” Satori muttered softly after a few seconds, the subdued demeanor completely different from mere minutes ago.

He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“He’s been smelling your scent over and over for years now.”

Satori’s face scrunched up in confusion, “Well, I do live within 10 miles of this place. It wouldn’t be shocking if he caught a whiff of my scent every once in a while.”

Taichi shook his head silently, “You know Tsutomu can distinguish a fresh and stale scent easily. No, he’d take in your smell as if you were within ten feet of him, and he’d look for you.”

Satori’s eyes grew wide, shocked to hear this development.

“We started keeping tabs on your location after the first few months of Tsutomu’s false alarms,” Satori’s eyes narrowing as he let out a low ‘what’, Taichi continuing on undeterred, “so we knew if you were nearby or not. Out of all the times he claimed to smell you nearby, you hadn’t been in the area recently or at all.”

“Then why―”

“Olfactory hallucinations.” Taichi revealed bluntly, finding some amusement in watching the older male’s eyes widen once more.

“Hallucinations?” Satori whispered, his voice hollow and stupefied.

“He was a wreck after you left.” Taichi explained, a growl melding with his voice as he spoke.

The blame was back, the ginger-haired-alpha aware that Satori was starting to put the pieces together, “His eyes were always swollen from crying and his nose was so frequently congested that he got a few sinus infections during the first year without you here. His sense of smell was still adequate when he was sick, but once his nose returned to normal, the hallucinations only got worse.”

Satori’s hand fell from his cheek limply, his heart clenching painfully as he imagined it. He looked at his hands blankly, letting the words soak into his mind. He caused his little butt―, his little brother pain and anguish, pain and anguish that he didn’t deserve.

“It doesn’t happen as much anymore, and he isn’t as obvious as he used to be when he thought he detected your scent, but it still happens.” Taichi sighed, Satori able to detect the hurt Taichi felt for one of their youngest gang members. Well, one of the youngest from their unit.

“So that’s why he didn’t react to smelling me.” Satori murmured, the guilt eating him up inside.

“Yes, and he obviously still looks up to you. It wasn’t okay for you to scold him for something he’s been trying to overcome for years. I heard Reon’s heartbeat, I could tell he wasn’t okay with it either and was about to stop you. Tsutomu has his pride still, despite everything, and one thing his pride can’t handle right now is revealing that kind of weakness to you.”

Tears filled Satori’s eyes, the alpha silently trying to will them away.

“He may have missed you, but you lost his trust.”

A tear escaped his left eye and darted down his cheek.

“I’m sure it won’t be too hard to earn it back, Tsutomu has always been forgiving toward those he loves, but I expect you to make the effort.” Taichi surmised, though his last part of his sentence was spoken with finality.

Satori nodded his head slowly, his elbows now resting on his knees and his head hanging low. Taichi saw his tears but allowed the alpha to shed them quietly.

It was nearly a minute before the silence was broken, Taichi’s eyes expanding slightly at the question.

“Did you miss me Taichi?”

His voice was soft, tentative, but the alpha didn’t lift his head to watch Taichi’s reaction.

So many things flew through the ginger’s mind at the question. He bit his lip, trying not to immediately vent his frustration and yell at the alpha.

Taichi took a deep inhale, paused, and released a long, drawn out sigh.

“I wish I didn’t.” he stated.

Satori sensed a different kind of pain that only caused him to bite his own lip harshly to hold back a sob as more tears filled his eyes and cascaded down his face. It was a personal kind of pain.

He hurt Taichi too.

“Because your leaving ripped our team apart.” Taichi snarled, struggling to hold in the anger.

Anger from all the nights spent crying himself to sleep, from all the mornings of waking up and having to remind himself that another brother left home. Those first few years he spent each day struggling to experience anything beyond a blankness, a numbness that went soul-deep.

It only grew worse as his family began dropping like flies in the first three years after Satori left. To a point where he, Reon, and Kenjirou came to the agreement that they couldn’t recover their strength as a gang without recruiting new members…and asking old members who had been kicked out to rejoin.

Satori understood the implication from that sentence, his eyes becoming saucers as he snapped his head to lock his teary gaze with Taichi’s blazing orbs. He couldn’t mean what he was implying, no.

“You don’t mean―”

“It’s just us four and Kenjirou.” the ginger male confirmed, his eye twitching as he watched Satori’s jaw drop in disbelief and horror.

He didn’t let Satori speak; not that it looked like the alpha was planning to, he was still processing what he just heard. Taichi plowed on, angry tears beginning to fill his eyes.

“Yunohama was first, killed protecting Tsutomu during a skirmish not long after you left. Tsutomu hallucinated right in the thick of it and tried to spot you.  Jurou noticed someone was aiming for our little brother, pushed him to the ground and took a bullet to the neck.”

Satori clenched his hands into fists.

“We didn’t realize until the battle was over that he was dead. Tsutomu, though he doesn’t speak of it now, blames himself for what happened.”

Satori hunched further in on himself, the unspoken _‘when it’s you who’s to blame’_ heard loud and clear.

“Jin tried his best not to blame Tsutomu, he really did. But when Tsutomu kept having hallucinations a year after you left, Jin didn’t get it and couldn’t seem to understand. He was screaming at the poor kid one night after getting drunk off what little stash of alcohol we had left.”

Satori growled lowly under his breath.

Jin was usually a pretty cool guy. He was level-headed, patient, and was usually all for talking things out. Those qualities were probably why he and Satori always butted heads, not matter their claim as brothers.

In Satori’s eyes, Soekawa was no leader, but a follower. The beta was all for planning and strategizing, but he had no exceptional aptitude for it beyond agreeing to go along with whatever would be carried out. Despite his mild-mannered demeanor, he had a temper on him and Satori always knew how to push his buttons to create an argument between each other.

“I ran for the house the moment I heard the sound of a slap and running foosteps…but by the time I got to them, it was too late.” Taichi grit his teeth, guilt and frustration present in his tone.

That, however, wasn’t what Satori found odd. It was a bone-chilling terror in Taichi’s voice that had him looking back up at the alpha.

Satori’s expression froze.

He could see that with his eyes clenched shut, the taller alpha was doing all he could to ward off the memory; the images. Whatever he saw that day, it was something he never expected to witness. Tears still escaped his closed eyes and ran down his cheeks.

“Someone killed him…was it Tsutomu?” he asked, his voice low and strained.

Taichi shook his head boldly, eyes still shut tight.

“No, it wasn’t Tsutomu. He was fine.”

Satori’s heart broke for the younger alpha. First Jurou died protecting him, then Jin was taken out right in front of him. A chunk of his own family gone, just like that.

The heavy pause was filled with a loud sniffle from Satori, both alphas trying to compose themselves, but Satori could tell Taichi wasn’t done. And that only made his heart drop further.

_‘Please, no more.’_

“Akakura was killed four months after Jin…Johzenji killed him ‘on accident’.” Taichi seethed.

He could still remember that day clearly, coming home to Akakura’s body propped up against the front door, a UC2772 Kunai lodged into the left side of his head. On his chest was a note that literally said,

 

_ “Sorry man! Didn’t mean to take out one of your guys. We were practicing and one of our stray kunais got him good.” _

_ Our Sincerest Apologies, Johzenji _

 

Even though he knew now that Johzenji weren’t the ones responsible for Akakura’s death, the one who wrote that note knew Terushima’s attitude well enough to replicate it in written form almost perfectly.

“Johzenji?! What was Shou doing in their territory?!” Satori exclaimed, sitting up straight.

At this point the older alpha’s voice was slightly congested, tears pouring freely from his eyes―eyes that were filled with a newfound rage.

True accidents were rare in the gang lifestyle, so it was always safe to assume someone was lying when a rival gang claimed their actions were accidental or non-intentional.

“It was a set up. Johzenji was framed for his death. Kenjirou was able to figure it out after analyzing the note and contacting Johzenji’s base.”

“Then who―”

“A lone alpha by the name of Kiryu Wakatsu…you recognize that name.” Taichi watched as Satori flinched in response.

“Yes, Tanji tried recruiting him as a member of our team before ‘Toshi left. He was considered an alpha with incredible power and potential, a perfect replacement if ‘Toshi were to leave…”

_‘Heh, I guess I never gave the old man enough credit. He probably realized what ‘Toshi was planning to do before he announced it to everyone.’_

Taichi’s eyes widened at the new information, “Well, he had no gang affiliation…and it seems like he acted as a lone mercenary. Whether he wanted us to fall or someone else did and paid him, I don’t know. Because once we were aware it was him…well…”

“He seemed to know we didn’t have you or Ushijima anymore, because he…he…” Taichi struggled to speak. The anger, the grief, the guilt; it was threatening to consume him again. Sagae’s death…Sagae’s death had been a hard blow.

Satori grabbed at the tissue box on the coffee table, quietly blowing his nose before grabbing another and silently handing it to Taichi, his gaze still fixed upon the carpet.

The standing alpha plucked it from Satori’s hand, pressing it to his face to soak up his tears before blowing his nose as well.

It was then that Satori heard it. A choked sob, and then another.

The red-head racked his brain desperately, trying to remember who was left that would cause Taichi to finally break.

When he realized who was left on the proverbial chopping block, he felt queasy with the possibilities of what Taichi could say next.

“He broke- he broke into our house and killed Yuushou in his sleep. Reon found him in his bed after he didn’t come down for breakfast.” Taichi’s voice was broken, emotions he rarely showed to anyone visible to Satori now as he watched the alpha plow through the information despite his choked sobs.

_‘No…no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!’_

Sagae may have been one of the younger members of their old team, but they had all considered him an invaluable asset. He was nervous and took criticism poorly, but he was gentle and kind to a fault. He always encouraged everyone to do their best and was eager to please the others as well. Satori never understood how the even-tempered alpha did it, but he must have learned from Reon because the young male was always able to resolve an argument calmly. He was their team’s backup mediator, always trying to keep the peace between his packmates and even rival gangs.

It was the alpha’s smile, however, that was the most memorable to Satori. In a world where secrets and lies were a part of life, Sagae strove to be genuine with everyone.

It was the memory of that smile and the memory of the young alpha cuddling with him after Wakatoshi left that caused the sobs to finally be ripped from Satori’s throat.

He gripped his hair, uncaring if it lost its shape as he and Taichi cried for the loss of their gentlest member.

“WHY?! WHY HIM!” Satori wailed.

“I-I don-I don’t know.” Taichi lamented, their mingled sounds of sorrow filling the room.

 

“We-we-we sent Yamagata after him,” the ginger-haired alpha started slowly once their sobs died down, a few used tissues now littered the coffee table. He winced at the sight of Satori’s body stiffening completely, “but he never returned.”

“He never…returned.” Satori said blankly, feeling as if he’s cried too many tears to have any more for the alpha who was considered one of his closest brothers.

It was quiet for a few minutes as Satori tried to process all the information. All he had to show for it was a slack jaw, empty, red-rimmed eyes, and a heart more crushed by guilt than when he had left his house earlier tonight.

 

“If you hadn’t left, none of this would have happened.” Taichi insisted, his glare returning once more.

 _‘And there it is.’_ Satori thought, unable to do anything but accept the blame.

“And since I’m assuming you came back to rejoin, I’m also going to assume that things didn’t end up working out with that omega of yours.” he stated, watching Satori flinch with a sad sense of satisfaction.

For as much as he wanted Satori to suffer and hurt, Taichi didn’t want to dwell on the pain of all the brothers he’s lost anymore. Sure, a part of him was glad he had the emotional capacity to cry for them and mourn them properly now…but he couldn’t continue to be weak in front of Satori. He was lucky the red-head seemed more focused on what he was telling him than realizing the extent of Taichi’s emotional breakdown throughout the influx of information.

 

Taichi frowned as the once exuberant alpha grew guiltily silent.

“What did you do?” he inquired lowly, narrowing his eyes as Satori’s hands clenched into fists, his head bowed between his legs.

“That isn’t any of your business.” came the older alpha’s response after a few seconds of tense silence.

“It is if what you did is making you return to us with your tail between your legs.” Taichi growled.

Satori had lifted his head to give the younger male a glare. A glare full of sorrow, guilt, and self-loathing that only grew as it leeched into his voice when he began to shout at the alpha.

“Why? WHY TAICHI?! DO YOU ACTUALLY CARE?! AFTER ALL THE BLAME YOU’VE FLUNG AT ME FOR THE FAMILY I’LL NEVER GET TO SEE OR SPEAK WITH AGAIN?! I DON’T NEED―”

His tirade ended as quickly as it started. Taichi had taken a silent step forward and brought his arms around Satori in a firm hug.

And from that one action, the fight left the slightly shorter alpha completely. Tears sprung to his eyes as his younger brother, his old apprentice, and the current gang leader of Shiratorizawa whispered tenderly in his ear,

“Of course I care Satori. You are family, and though I hate to say it after what you’ve done, we still need you and want you back. I still blame you for their deaths, but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop seeing you as my brother. Just…just don’t leave us again.”

Just when Satori thought his tears had dried out, they came again and trickled down his face silently. It was all he wanted to hear.

That he was wanted. That someone still needed him. That he was still welcome back somewhere.

“I won’t.” he promised with an uncharacteristically wobbly smile as he returned the hug.

 

After nearly thirty seconds, the two pulled apart to meet their blotchy faces, bleary eyes and red noses. Well, one of their faces was like that.

“How is it that your face still looks so good after all that?” Satori asked, grabbing a tissue to blow his nose and wiping the tears from his eyes with his right sleeve.

“Good genes, I guess.” Taichi joked, his voice weak from the attempted humor.

 

He had never met his mother before. His father told him she was the sister to some famous doctor, and that he got his lidded, aristocratic eyes and facial shape from her family. She hadn’t wanted to have any kids, so when she became pregnant with Taichi, she allowed his father to take him to be raised in Shiratorizawa after he was born. That and from what his father told him, she wasn’t anything more than a good lay. They apparently argued constantly if they were around each other outside the bedroom.

 

“You smell different too.” Satori stated, a curious little frown on his face as he tried to think of explaining how there was a new aspect to the taller alpha’s smell that hadn’t been there before.

That statement pulled the first, small, genuine smile onto Taichi’s lips. He reached up to pull at the right side of his collar. Nestled between the juncture of his neck and shoulder was a clean, delicate, but no less prominent bite mark.

“You’re bonded?! Well, well, well, looks like the Crane finally found his life partner.” Satori recoiled briefly in shock before leaning closer to inspect the bond mark with wide, intrigued eyes. His voice was teasing as the final words slipped from his mouth.

“Shut up.”

“Am I going to get to meet them?”

“Yes, you will. You don’t have to worry about that.” Taichi mused wryly, wondering if who his mate was would come as a surprise the erratic red-head.

“Good.” Satori uttered, letting out a loud yawn after he spoke.

Taichi gave the alpha a rare, tired smile, “Go get some rest, I’m sure Reon got a room ready for you. It should be the only open door down the first hallway of rooms. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Roger.” Satori saluted wearily, a lopsided grin on his face before he turned away to head up the stairs.

“Mockingbird.” Taichi called, Satori pausing halfway up the steps. The redhead bent down to look at the ginger alpha through the stair slats.

“If you need anything, just holler.” he assured the red-head, quirking his lips as he watched the pleasantly surprised male nod and continue on up to the second floor.

 

Satori walked all the way down the hall, making a right at the back of the building, then another right after walking about forty feet and came down a hall with fifteen doors. When he spotted the door that was open, however, he froze in his steps briefly.

_‘At this point, I can’t even tell if he chose that room intentionally to help me feel comfortable or to low-key spite me.’_

The fourth door down was wide open, waiting with a bed for him to sleep in. He shook his head and continued forward, craning his neck to peek into the room.

_‘Huh. I don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed.’_

It no longer was the room he used to share with Wakatoshi. At least it didn’t look like it anymore.

Everything about the room’s interior was new. The beds were new, with sleek black headboards and two small, matching black nightstands. There were two dressers and a mini-fridge next to the desk in the room. It was a fairly large room, but with all the furniture, despite the open walking space, it felt a tad cramped.

_‘Eh, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.’_

Satori sighed as he plopped himself on the bed.

With the lack of familiarity with the things in the room, excluding the room number and the number of beds inside, Satori was able to push back his creeping thoughts of the alpha he used to room with and focus on the present.

On what he just recently found out.

He gritted his teeth, groaning as he leaned forward and gripped his head in his hands. He had forgotten about the blood, which was now smeared on his face and streaked in his hair. Drops of blood had also landed on his dark jeans earlier when the blood had been flowing more freely. Now it beaded on his face sluggishly, though hardly noticeable with the older blood covering the side of his face.

After a few seconds, his hands dropped from his head. They froze above the sheets, however, when a clear, calm and familiar voice echoed through the room and hallway.

“Stop. Don’t you dare let those hands touch the sheets. I won’t have them cleaned if I can help it.”

With puffy eyes, one side of his face bloody and swollen and the other blotchy and full of emotional exhaustion, Satori unable to express his shock without feeling the pain. He slowly turned his head to lock eyes with the familiar face at the door.

He knew Taichi said he was here, but still…

 

“Ken-chan!”

Kenjirou blinked placidly, minutely tilting his head to the side as he looked at the alpha frozen in place on the bed.

“Hello Tendou-san.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo!! Finally finished the first revision. Awesome.
> 
> For all you dedicated readers of Hotel for the Broken, if ya'll didn't see what I implied with Taichi's good genes...*muffled screaming*...go read it again. XD I definitely had fun implying it, because let's be real both males have some similar features.
> 
> I'm gonna do another little poke in the next chapter at two characters who could potentially be related. Or at least they'll be related in this deleted scene. XD I mean I can't believe I didn't realize the similarities and potential sooner when writing my previous one-shot.
> 
> Sorry! Internal musings being vomited onto the end notes. XD Oh well.
> 
> And just so you know, the flashback was not originally in the outline for this deleted scene AT ALL. It just came out of nowhere when I thought I was halfway done with the story. *sheepish grin*
> 
> I hope it was worth it though, because I had a lot of fun digging a little deeper into Satori's past.
> 
> Please know that this is not at all canon to Rose's story. I took plenty of liberties here that have not been made officially canon in her story.
> 
> I wanted to explore the concept of an alpha trying to be more omega-like in a community that looks down on omegas.  
> For two years, before Wakatoshi left in Hotel for the Broken, Satori considered all the younger kids to be his children, his pups. His buttons, his beans, his noodles, etc.  
> In the final chapter, there will be multiple flashbacks that somewhat analyze this behavior and how his mindset is changed after Wakatoshi leaves. I tried to subtly imply in this chapter that he doesn't refer to them in that manner anymore.
> 
> I read Hotel for the Broken's newest chapter, and when I read the scenes where Satori mentioned his connections, I mentally screamed and slammed down a proverbial button that summoned Kenjirou. XD He's the mind of Shiratorizawa in this multi-chapter deleted scene, and his role will definitely be delved into more in the final chapter.  
> Because he has a lot of things to talk to Satori about.
> 
> He'll also be helping me introduce a new concept of mine that I'll be attempting to correlate with how bloodlines are mentioned in the newest chapters and implementing that potentially fantastical element Daishou ruminated on in chapter 38.
> 
> Random Headcanon: Satori is a talented pickpocket and isn't above shoplifting, even when he was so young. He and Reon used to make a game out of it; who can successfully pickpocket or shoplift without getting caught. But because Wakatoshi rarely approved the behavior, Satori stopped doing so and spent his money honestly to show his loyalty and allegiance to Wakatoshi's values. Satori started it up again, however, after Wakatoshi left.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Know that kudos and comments bring me joy and I will make an effort to respond to comments as soon as possible.


End file.
